Dial H for the Second Half of Big Supervillain Army

Are you ready for round two? Same big battle from New Adventures #47 and 48, but with 10 supervillains (14 if you count the advance guard from #46), it's taken us - and the Dial heroes - to get through them. This second half isn't all great, or perhaps some of the villains just weren't given their due. You'll see.

Case 54: New Adventures of Superboy #47-48Dial Holders: Chris and VickiDial Type: Watch and Pendant DialsDialing: Nothing new to report as we're still on the same "dial-up".

Only Supervillains!

Name: Solar Dynamo (bit of a mouthful)Created by: Robert C. Morrison, of Huntington, WVCostume: Bad haircut, but the black and white costume, with yellow, orange and red stripes looks pretty cool and fits his radiation theme. He has a red face indicating some kid of alien origin perhaps, though he could just as easily have been mutated by his powers.Powers: He generates solar energy and fires it into a beam; heat, certainly, but perhaps other wavelengths.Sighted: Part of the Master's supervillain army, one of three villains who didn't get to use their powers so fired on a defeated Trouble Clef. Their powers are turned against them by Venus.Possibilities: Though his powers are generic, "solar" powers are a useful suite. This very issue of Superboy involves one such villain, Sunburst. I like Sunburst, but he hardly showed up after this. Solar Dynamo, not so much. He's got the face of a one-shot alien invader who can nevertheless take on the Justice League, but is promptly sent home and forgotten.Integration Quotient: 30% (yes, sure, but has little lasting power)

Name: Darkstar (I know a Soviet superheroine who'd be mighty pissed)Created by: William Huffman, of Albany, GACostume: A black one-piece with corrugated almost-gloves (do not actually cover the hands) and boots, a blue visor and antennaed ear muffs, and a gray and blue chest emblem that crosses two boomerang shapes into a makeshift star. Looks pretty retro, but kind of sharp nonetheless.Powers: Darkstar fires some kind of energy from his hands, presumably "dark energy" à la Blackout and Marvel's own Darkstar.Sighted: Part of the Master's supervillain army, one of three villains who didn't get to use their powers so fired on a defeated Trouble Clef. Their powers are turned against them by Venus. He's the one who whines about it.Possibilities: Like Solar Dynamo, the full application of the implied power suite would make him a good foe to go up even against a team. Some scientist powered by a black hole, perhaps. Wouldn't appear very often, but he's no worse than a guy like Bolt.Integration Quotient: 35% (a better look gets him 5% than his buddy)

Name: Trojan (not sure how it fits, but good for a chuckle today)Created by: Bryan Smith, of Boring, ORCostume: The Grecian helmet, gold bracers and shin guards are enough to give Trojan an ancient look, but the rest of his costume, red sleeveless spandex with a metal belt/jock strap combo and a radioactive hazard emblem, bring him to the 20th Century.Powers: Trojan can evidently fire some type of radiation from his hands. That's all we know.Sighted: Part of the Master's supervillain army, the last of three villains who didn't get to use their powers so fired on a defeated Trouble Clef (his idea, so we know he's petty). Their powers are turned against them by Venus.Possibilities: Good name, good look, it's just not clear why a radioactive man would call himself Trojan. Let's say he's a Turk of Greek descent. Let's say he got his powers when some nuclear reactor blew. Let's further say he was tailor-made to become a Wonder Woman villain, at once "old world" and new. If she represents peace, he's the threat of nuclear war. There's something to it.Integration Quotient: 60% (Diana needs all the villains she can get)

Name: Titaness (fine, but doesn't sound as good as Titania might, though I realize it was taken)Created by: Angela Finch, of Chicago, ILCostume: A yellow tunic (which may not be the safest costume for a giantess) with jeweled gold boots, belt, bracers and tiara.Powers: Titaness can grow to a great height, a full-grown hero shorter than one of her fingers. (Sorry, I'm not very good at estimating sizes.)Sighted: Part of the Master's supervillain army, her size and bulk become a disadvantage as she crushes several of her team mates when downed.Possibilities: If we didn't have the superior Giganta, Titaness would be a good Wonder Woman villain. She has the appropriate "ancient world" look and we know Diana can fight giants. Though a poor man's Giganta, he could still operate in some JLA-fighting team, an Amazon gone bad who copied Giganta's origin and so on.Integration Quotient: 40% (can be integrated, but will seem redundant)

Name: Blue Damsel Fly (on the long side)Created by: Brett Kinner, of Wellsburg, NYCostume: Blue spandex with black lines running through to mimic insect segmentation perhaps? Yellow gloves and boots complete the costume. Most notably, she has four diphanous insect wings on her back.Powers: A non-shrinking Wasp, Blue Damsel Fly can, of course, fly, and fires an electric "sting" from her hands.Sighted: Part of the Master's supervillain army, she is smashed against a wall by one of Venus' traps, after her powers are bounced off Titaness' head.Possibilities: A Queen Bee type who might give heroes like Hawk and Dove some trouble, but not for long. Someone might use her to make a faux-Avengers team (if the Heroes of Angor hadn't already gone there), but the name has got to go.Integration Quotient: 15% (a big step down from the character she's derivative of)

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comments:

Hey, Siskoid. I've caught up with your Dial H series, and I've noticed you lost count of the case files at one point. Specifically, during the last three issues of the Robby Era. You've labeled House of Mystery #171, House of Mystery #172, and House of Mystery #173 all as "Case 16", so all the case numbers since then are two numbers behind. In other words, what we're currently on is actually Case 56.